


if being afraid is a crime (we hang side by side)

by empathieves



Series: love, love is a verb [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov QPPs, Everyone Is Poly Because Avengers, Fluff, M/M, Polyamory, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, but its happening, ok so i'm writing a series of little fics about polyamorous avengers because there isn't enough ok, they're not quite there yet in this one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-15
Updated: 2016-03-15
Packaged: 2018-05-26 21:47:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6257119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/empathieves/pseuds/empathieves
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony has just finished rebuilding his house. Clint comes to check up on him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	if being afraid is a crime (we hang side by side)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [strifescloud](https://archiveofourown.org/users/strifescloud/gifts).



In the end, it's Barton who shows up to check up on him.

"Hey. Here to check on you." he says, standing in the doorway of Tony's newly rebuilt home. Just like that, as matter-of-fact as possible.  
"Why?"  
"You went through some shit and the Avengers don't do a mandatory psych eval after traumatic experiences. So. Here I am." Barton says, and gestures in a vague way to himself, before putting his hands back into the pockets of his jacket.  
"Uh. Come in, I guess."  
Barton follows him into the kitchen, taking a seat at the countertop.  
"So, do you want a coffee or something?" Tony asks. He's pretty sure he's not actually supposed to feel this anxious, but he's never actually spoken to Barton that much. He knows the guy's got a dry sense of humour, but that's about it.  
"Yeah, sure. I take it black."  
"God, really?" he says, and he can't quite stop himself from making a face.  
"That's the exact face Natasha makes every time I drink it in front of her." Barton says, and there's this cheeky, mischevious grin on his face when he says it.  
"Yeah, well, fair enough. Black coffee is horrible."  
"Sometimes I drink it straight from the pot."  
"You're a heathen."  
"Yeah, well."  


"So...psych eval? Really?"  
"I know you were having some symptoms after New York. Pepper called me."  
"Does Pepper even have your number?"  
"She got it off Natasha, they get together for lunch every Wednesday."  
"Huh."  


He distinctly remembers having a conversation with Pepper about going non-monogamous, and he distinctly remembers them agreeing that they could date whoever they wanted, but he didn't think she was into women. Maybe they're not dating? Either that or she just wasn't ready to talk about it. He should probably ask her about that.  
"Anyway, yes, I have been having some symptoms."  
"Like?"  
"Panic attacks, sometimes. Sometimes flashbacks. Lots of nightmares." he says, and he hates how hesitant his voice sounds, a caricature of his normal flippancy.  
"Have you talked about it with a professional?"  
"No, I don't even - how could I talk to someone about that and trust them?"  


Barton holds his eyes for a minute, then nods and reaches into his pocket for his wallet.  
"Here. This is who I see." he says, and hands over a small business card.  
"Dr. J. Browning, Speech Therapist and Psychologist. Speech therapy?"  
"I wear hearing aids. Dr Browning is the only therapist I ever met who allowed me to use sign as wel as speech in our sessions."  
"I didn't know."  
"Not many people do."  
There's a beat of silence, and Tony has to swallow some questions - mostly about whether it means something that he does know now, and whether or not that alters their working relationship, because that's a pretty big thing to reveal to someone you've barely spoken to.  


"So. How's your coffee?"  
"As black as my soul, so good." he says, laughing, and that's - well. Tony's very quickly getting in way over his head, because wow.  
They finish their coffee, and Tony shows him out, and when he finds out later that Pepper hadn't called him at all - though she has been going out on dates with Natasha, and they're starting to get pretty serious - well, that has to mean something, because that means that Barton just showed up of his own volition. To check on him. He's pretty sure he's not misreading the signs this time, like he was with Bruce (how was he supposed to know that Bruce didn't actually do romantic relationships?).  
So he asks Pepper to ask Natasha for Barton’s number, and he sends him a text and that goes well and they start texting more and more, and he’s feeling a little bit less insecure about this whole thing with every passing day. Which is good, because he knows fuck all about any kind of relationship, friendly or not.  
Hawkeye:  
Do you want to catch a movie? My friend Kate is looking after my dog so I’m actually free for once.  
Iron Man:  
Sounds good to me.

They see some stupid action movie where there’s more characterisation in the villain’s pinkie toe than the female lead’s whole body, and maybe Tony lets his hand brush Clint’s more often than strictly necessary during the film, but it’s good because he’s thrumming with anxious energy that’s not making him feel clammy and horrible.  
Clint drives him home, which is absolutely ridiculous, but it’s kind of worth it because he walks Tony to the door and kisses his cheek.  
And Tony has never felt more validated in his life, because he was actually reading things right for once.

(When he walks in he apparently has a stupid grin on his face, because Pepper is still awake and eating ice cream on the couch and she immediately throws a pillow at him and demands that he tells all.)

**Author's Note:**

> So this is the start of a series about polyamorous Avengers! I'm so unhappy about Civil War so I'm kind of writing this in protest even though I'll watch it anyway. So here is my series where everyone talks to each other and supports each other through stuff.


End file.
